Chapter 4

The air inside the converted barn venue was thick, heavy with the lingering scent of cut hay, warm wood, and the sweet, cloying perfume of the floral centerpieces that had begun to wilt as the evening wore on. Outside, the sun had finally dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in bruised shades of purple and burnt orange that filtered through the high, dusty windows. But inside, it was just us. The rest of the ranch party had drifted away—most of the guests heading back to their cabins or the main lodge, their laughter fading into the cool evening breeze, leaving the space to us. We had claimed our private nook in the far corner, a secluded area tucked behind a massive, weathered barn door that we had propped open just enough to create a semi-private alcove. The floor was packed earth and old straw, scattered with the debris of the day’s celebrations, but we didn’t care about the dirt on our clothes. We didn’t care about anything but the heat radiating between us. I sat on an overturned hay bale, my legs draped over one another, my silk dress hiked up slightly to my thighs, revealing the smooth skin